Timing-device.



H. E. WARREN.

TIMING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 26. I917.

1,283,434. Patented 001;. 29, 1918.

2 SHEETSSHEET H. E. WARREN.

TIMING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 26. IBM.

Patented Oct. 29, 191-8.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- IZUGIZJ'O? W 5. WW

*HE'NRY E. WARREN,

OF ASHLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO WARREN CLOCK COMPANY, OF ASHLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

TIMING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 21), 1918.

Application filed February 26, 1917. Serial No. 150,876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY E. WARREN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Ashland, in the county of Middlesex and State "of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Timing Devices, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a sp' cification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention has for its object to provi de a timing device or clock which is directly and continuously driven by a self-starting synchronous motor capable of starting and stopping substantially in an instant and of running continuously at a uniform speed, and which for the best-results is supplied with alternating current whose average frequency has been accurately regulated.

The invention further has for its object to provide means for continuing the motion of the clock in case the motor should stop.

These and other features of the invention will. be pointed out in the claims at the. end of this specification.

Figure 1 is a plan View of one construction of clock or timing device embodying this invention.

Fig. 2, a front elevation with parts broken away of the clock shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 a side elevation with parts in section of the clock shown in Fig. 2 looking toward the left.

Fig. 4, a detail of the clock shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, to be referred to, the section being taken on the line 4-4, Fig. 3, and Fig. 5, a view in perspective and on an enlarged scale of a portion of the timing device shown in Fig. 1.

In the embodiment of the invention herein shown, 10 represents a bipolar field magnet for an alternating current motor a, and

12, 13, are opposite poles of said magnet,

. each of which poles is divided so as to produce a split phase rotating field by means of the shading coils 14, 15, which latter cause the magnetism in the pole faces 16, 17, to lag somewhat behind the magnetism in the poles faces 18, .19.

In the space inclosedfby the poles 12, 13, wherein the magnetic field revolves, there is a rotor, preferably made as a disk 20 of hardened steel and without windings or -slots..

I have found that with such a rotor, the

magnetic hysteresis produces a starting torque and a very marked tendency to run in exact synchronism, because the magnetic lines through the mass of the rotor tend strongly to remain fixed, and after .synchronism has been reached, to cause the .flrotor to act as if polarized. This synchronous motor is also capable of stopping substantially in an instant and is arranged with a driving shaft 21 for the rotor 20 vertically arranged, and with the rotor-20 sufliciently below the middle ofthe pole faces so as to rise, when in action, and thus take the weight of the rotor and its shaft off of its bearings, and thus eliminate all end thrust friction. Upon the shaft 21 is cut a worm thread 23, which engages a worm gear 24, having its shaft 25 provided with a worm 26, which drives a worm gear 27. The double reduction just described, provides a reduction in speed from that of the rotor 20, revolving for example, 3600 revolutions per minute in the case of a cycle circuit, to 1 revolution per minute on the shaft 28 of the Worm gear 27.

The shaft 28 may therefore carry the scc- 0nd hand, not shown, of a clock.

For the purpose of reducing friction and wear'and eliminating external interference, the rotor 20 of the motor and the reduction gearing described are inclosed in a nearly air tight case 29, containing fine lubricating oil, which is distributed by the motion of the shafts and gears over all the surfaces in contact, thus insuring efficient lubrication.

From the shaft 28, revolving once per minute, connection is made by suitable gearing 30, 31, 32, (see Figs. 3 and 5) to the minute hand gear 33, which latter is provided with a driving dog 34, which is capable of driving in one direction, a disk or drum 35, which through the usual friction washer 36 drives the shaft 37 on which the minute hand 38 of the clock is mounted. The sleeve 39. on which the hour hand 40 is mounted is driven in the conventional way by back gears 41.

Provision is made for continuing the motion of the clock in case the motor should stop, and in the present instance one means or arrangement is shown for accomplishing this result, which consists of an auxiliary clock movement 45 (see Figs. 3 and 5) which may be either spring or weight driven, so as to be capable of driving the disk or drum strong 33 through a dog 46, carried by an arm fastened to the shaft 71 of the auxiliary clock movement as by a pin 72 or otherwise, and l may also provide means for normally rendering the auxiliary clock movement L5 inoperative.

This result may be effected by means of a magnetizable member 50 or some similar no-voltage device, which will permit the auxiliary movement to run when no current is passing through the coil 47 of the motor a, but which will be attracted by the magnetism of the motor when the current is passing through the coil thereof, and will then stop the auxiliary movement l?) by interfering with the motion of the escapement lever .31 or otherwise.

In the present instance, '(see Figs. 1 and 2), the magnetizable member 50 is shown as carried by a lever 52, which has its arm adapted to be engaged with the escapement lever 51, when the member is in its at tracted position, thereby stopping the auxiliary movement. The arm 58 of the lever 52 is disengaged from the escapement lever 51 by a spring 54, when the current ceases to flow through the motor a.

it. will thus be seen, that as long as the alternating current is on, the clock hands will be electrically driven at a rate proportionate to the frequency of the current, and if the frequency is correct, the clock will keep accurate time, while if the current fails the auxiliary movement will instantly begin to drive the clock hands and will continue to do so until the current is restored to the circuit.

Such a clock provides ideal means for indicating time in all centers of population where alternating current is distributed, and enables existing commercial alternatin current systems to provide the individual users of such current for lighting, power and other pur oses, with accurate time, inasmuch as sai clocks can be connected in the alternating current systems as now installed, without the necessity of special wiring, as it is only necessary to connect the motor a with the socket of an incandescent lamp, or with any other socket included in the system.

The user of the alternating current for lighting, power or other purposes, can thus be furnished with a clock which requires no winding or batteries to be renewed and which can be operated at very slight expense. It alsoprovides efiicient means for regulatin the frequency of the alternating current. rovision must be made however for insuring that the time indicated by the clocks in the alternate current circuit, represented by the wires 60, 61, in Fig. 1, is accurate or substantially so, and also that the synchronous motor which drives the clock or clocks is supplied by alternating current mew-e4- of which the average frequency has been accurately regulated, both of which results may be effected in the manner described in my application Sc. No. 115955 filed by me on the 21st day of August, 1916, of which this application is a division.

By reference to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, it will be observed that a rotary magnetic field is produced by the current flowing through the motor a, and that this rotary magnetic field has a dctinite time value and is magnetically coupled with the hands of the clock to produce rotation thereof, and a timing device comprising these elements is of value to electric companies, as it provides a means for accurately ascertaining the length of time that the alternating current is flowing through the circuit in which the timing device is ineluded, irrespective of the number of interruptions in the service, for the difference between the time indicated by this timing device and a standard time, gives the duration of time that the current was not flowing through the circuit.

1 have herein shown one construction of timing device or clock embodying the invention, but it is not desired to limit the invention to the particular construction shown.

Claims:

1. A timing device comprising time insaid time-indicating means, whereby said timing device is capable of making known the exact length of time that the current has been flowing in a circuit in which the timing device is included, irrespective of the number of interruptions of the current flowing through said circuit.

2. A timing device magnetically coupled by a self-starting rotor with a rotating magnetic field energized by an alternating current of frequency sutliciently high for commercial lighting, said rotor being inherently capable of revolving in exact synchronism with said field.

3. A timing device comprising time indicating means, and a self-starting synchronous motor having a split phase field responsive to a continuous alternating current, and provided with a rotor directly connected with said time indicating means and capable of starting and running synchronously in said field and of stopping substantially in an instant.

4. In a clock, means for maintaining a rotating magnetic field, a time element, means for magnetically coupling said rotating field with said time element, means for driving the time element independently of said magnetic field, and means under the influence of the means for maintaining said rotating magnetic field for controlling said independent driving means for the time element,

5. A synchronous motor, an alternating current supply therefor, reducing gears transmitting motion therefrom at a proper ratio to the hands of a clock, an auxiliary clock movement for the same hands, means to stop the auxiliary movement when the current flows and to start and connect the same with the clock hands when the current motor capable of starting and stopping substantially in an instant, and of running continuousl at a uniform s eed and having its rotor directly connected with said time indicating means, and auxiliary mechanism for continuing the motion of the said time indicating means, if the said motor stops 8. A timing device comprising time indicating means directly coupled with a selfstarting synchronous motor responsive to a continuous alternating current whose frequency is sufiiciently high to be used for commercial lighting.

9, A timing device comprising time-indicating means, a device for producing a rotating magnetic field responsive to a continuously alternating current, and a rotor located in said field and coupled with said time-indicating means and inherently capable of self starting and of running in absolute synchronism with the alternations of said current.

In testimony whereof, l have signed my name to this specification.

HENRY E. WARREN. 

